Find concepts and theories of psychological science. I include definitions, examples, names of theorists, and references to conceptual articles and research studies. This blog is updated as I write about related terms.

Tuesday, October 9, 2018

Psychology’s Toxic Triad (Narcissism, Psychopathy, Machiavellianism)

The toxic triad is commonly known as the Dark Triad. The triad consists of three
sets of personality traits representing features of Narcissistic, Psychopathic, and Machiavellian personality clusters.

People with high levels of such traits can cause interpersonal
difficulties but, when you add several together they can be considerable toxic
by which I mean, such people can impact the mental health and well-being of
those in their sphere of influence.

To understand the level of toxicity, we need to examine the key
features of each personality grouping. Narcissistic
traits were apparently observed by the Greeks in the classic myth. The key
feature is the excessive self-praise and self-admiration, which doesn’t fit
well with those who do not share the same opinions. Some people with narcissistic traits become political, business, and religious leaders. They can be difficult to work for and with.

Psychopathic traits
include antisocial behaviors, low emotional empathy, low to no remorse for
harming others, few inhibitions, and sometimes a capacity to charm others on
initial contact. Leaders with psychopathic traits can wreak havoc in relationships, groups, and nations.

Machiavellian traits
were those described by the Italian thinker, Niccoló Machiavelli in his 1532
book, Il Principe (The Prince). In today’s language, Machiavellian traits include
planned acts that are not governed by common moral rules but by self-interest
and personal gain.

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Fortunately, people with such traits are rare.
Unfortunately, people with many of these traits coupled with above average
intelligence and access to power can destroy the lives of millions when they
control nations.

Those with less opportunity and somewhat muted traits, they
may rise in politics, corporations, and even religious organizations leaving
behind a trail of people who have been hurt physically, emotionally, and/or
spiritually. If they are not removed soon enough, the organization itself may
have suffered greatly or even cease to exist.

*****

In a meta-analysis, Muris, Merckelback, Otgaar, and Meijer
(2017) reviewed 91 research papers with data on 42,359 research participants. Various
personality questionnaires were used by different investigators. The
relationship among the three groups indicated a closer relationship between the
traits of Machiavellianism and psychopathy and a related yet more unique set of
traits for narcissism.

There are gender differences. In the 50 studies that
included data on gender differences, men were higher in the set of three traits
than were women with overall effect sizes as follows: psychopathy (r = .29); Machiavellianism (r = .16), narcissism r = .15).

When the authors considered
the shared variance, the primary difference between men and women was the
presence of psychopathic traits.

Several studies compared the Toxic Triad to other
personality traits. As you might expect, there was a negative relationship
between the presence of the triad traits and a group of positive traits known
as Honesty-Humility (HEXACO model: sincerity, fairness, greed avoidance,
modesty).

Comparing the Toxic Triad to Big Five Traits yielded a large
number of comparisons. The findings primarily focus on negative relationships
with the Big Five trait of agreeableness. (Do see the tables if you wish more
details.)

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The authors summarized their findings thus: “psychopathy
runs the show.” That is, the negative impact on other people is primarily due
to the traits of psychopathy rather than the other two clusters. Some other
points are worth noting.

When the traits are measured with existing questionnaires
(i.e., scales, tests, or measures), the three concepts overlap.

Some of the shorter questionnaires may not capture
sufficient nuances in behavior patterns.

Some have considered adding sadism, which is the enjoyment
of cruelty (Buckels, Jones, & Paulhus, 2013).

When researching the topic, look for the term "Dark Triad" or the individual personality clusters of narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism.

You can find the text to The Prince by Machiavelli at this link: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1232/1232-h/1232-h.htm

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About Me

I am a psychologist who studies and writes about Psychology, Religion, and Culture. I also speak at conferences and group events. Topics include Forgiveness & Reconciliation, Morality, Hope, Love, Spirituality, Clergy Abuse & Restoration